Hesperian Students Counseled After Passing Off-Campus Suicide Scene

The suicide on Galway Drive that occurred last Thursday was not witnessed by students. But before police could rope off the scene a busload of elementary schoolers did pass the parked car where it happened.

Wendy Garner, principal of Hesperian Elementary School, said a bus carrying students from her school drove past the spot where an 87-year-old man took his own life with a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

Garner said the school telephoned parents that night with basic information about what had happened.

On Friday counselors dispatched by the San Lorenzo Unified School District were outside the school to speak with students or parents who had questions.

"Some parents called to say, 'Please talk to our child.'," Garner said.

Neighbors had told Patch that students from nearby Edendale Middle School had passed the suicide scene.

But San Lorenzo School District official Sharon Lampel said that was not possible because the incident occurred around 1 pm and the middle school didn't let out until 3 pm.

San Lorenzo High School is also near the suicide scene but Lampel said the same logic holds true for those students; they would have been in class until after authorities taped off Galway Drive.